Life Exchange
by Saskya-Amant
Summary: One event changed their lives forever...for now they have to live each others life. Will Harry and Snape survive being the one person they despise?
1. Chapter 1

_**CHAPTER ONE **_

* * *

'Potter, are you trying to blow up my classroom,' Snape glowered down at the boy, who returned his icy look with a heated glare.

'No professor I am not!'

'Then do please explain, why your cauldron is billowing unnecessary smoke'

Harry faulted, he didn't actually know. He had thought he had done everything that was instructed on the board. Nevertheless his cauldron was smoking black clouds.

'Well,' Snape hissed, 'for once the beloved Harry Potter has no dim-witted remark sidling his tongue.'

Harry continued to glare hot daggers at his Professor, when he saw a blonde ferret smirking.

'Only five minutes left,' Harry screamed in his head.

Snape flicked his wand and the smoke was gone, revealing a purple grey mucus, 'It seems Potter you have invented a new potion, who know the genius within you,' Snape sneered, 'Clean it up…without magic'

'What did you do to it?' Hermione whispered while Harry got to his feet.

'Nothing,' he snapped, Hermione shrank back. _Great._Now he felt guilty, it wasn't Hermione's fault that Snape was a repugnant asshole. He just was.

'Sorry,' Harry mumbled, picking up the cauldron and proceeded to towards the basin.

The cauldron was heavier than Harry expected. Snape had told them to enlarge them for the potion to breathe. It looked as though he was hugging it; having to place all its weight in bends of his arms, blocking his view of what lay head of him.

Therefore missing Malfoy's out stretched foot.

Harry's knees slammed to hard dungeon floor, the cauldron slipped from his grip and banged to the ground, splattering the botched potion all over his arms.

Howls of laughter erupted from the Slytherins occupying the classroom, and gasps of horror escaped the Gryffindors.

Harry was unsure if his housemates were gasping at his fall, or at what stood in front of him.

An absolutely livid Professor Snape. The potion, had as well as going all over Harry, had sprayed all up Snape's left arm. The purple shone against the black of his robes, and his pale skin.

The Slytherin's now seeing what had happened for the first time, fell silent, horror replacing the laughter.

'Everyone out,' Snape's voice was calm and steady, and that was what made everyone run out of the dungeon.

Hermione and Ron had decided not to wait for Harry, which slightly annoyed him, but he resigned himself to the fact the he probably would have done the same. He had never seen Snape this anger. Looking up for the first time he saw the real glimpses of Snape; the Death Eater.

He wondered if Snape and Voldemort were standing side by side right now who he would be more afraid of.

But seeing as Snape was right in front of him, still alive and Voldemort was dead, he decided not to dwell. Fearful of whom his mind would still pick.

'Well Potter you have just demonstrated again, that fame isn't everything is it,' Snape glowered, 'now do as I say and _get out!_'

Scrambling to his feet Harry stuffed his bag and ran from the dungeon, muttering a cleaning spell as he went.

* * *

Walking to his quarters, Snape muttering to himself, he was so furious that he didn't notice the small tingle that ran through his hand.

Slamming his bedroom door open, he removed his robes. He knew from years of knowledge that a simple cleaning spell would never get the smell out of them, he would have to send them to get clean. He considered getting Potter to pay for but then dismissed it. Now that the war was over he had no reason to spend any unnecessary time with the stupid boy, his job was done.

Heading into the bathroom, Snape examined the stains; he has been jesting when he told Harry he has made a new potion but looking at it now he had never seen anything like it. The texture, smell and colour had never before been in a potion all at once that he knew of. Strange. It was probably nothing.

Snape turned the tapped on and washed the purple from his hands.

'Of all colours purple,' Snape scoffed to himself.

* * *

'Harry! We didn't expect to see you alive,' Ron said through a mouth full of lunch, yeah he had been real worried.

'Yeah, me too,' Harry placed himself next Ron, and started piling his plate with food as well, 'Where's Hermione?'

Ron actually swallowed before answering, 'Dunno said she had something to do, probably at the library'

'Mhhh,' Harry said, he wasn't really listening, he was remembering Snape's face.

Harry was brought back to the Great Hall when a tingle ran up his arms, dropping his lunch, he stared at them.

'What_are_you doing?' Hermione was standing in front of the boys starring at Harry holding his arms away from his body.

'I dunno, they kinda tingled,' Harry explained, Ron was now looking at Harry as well, then burst out laughter.

'Geez man, could you be any more of a girl, they tingled,' Ron mocked.

'Oh shut up Ronald,' Hermione snapped, turning back to Harry, 'was it were the potion hit you'

'Yeah, if you could call it a potion,' Harry answered.

'Maybe you should she Madame Pomfrey Harry, it could be something serious.'

'It's probably nothing, probably imagined it,' Ron laughed again.

'Ron probably right Hermione,' Harry said dropping his arms, 'It's alright' he whispered to her.

She just smiled, and looked at Ron, 'Are you finished stuffing your face… if I were you I'd been worried that my broom would be unable to hold my weight Ron'

With that Ron's eyes grew wide, and darted down to his slim form.

'Oh I was only joking, come on we'll be late for class,' Hermione sighed.

* * *

Harry was exhausted, he had been made Quidditch Captain, and he just held practice. Oh how he wished for the old team back, he would never be able to find any as good as them.

He had ended up with Ron as goalie, his chasers were Ginny, Dean Thomas and a fifth year girl Susie Aharah, who was extremely fast and agile in the air. Harry was actually surprised she hadn't already been on the team, but later he found out that she had been to nervous of being rejected until Ginny had talked her into trying out. He had opted for Seamus Finnigan as beater, he had buffed up over the summer and had a decent wing to him, and his other beater was a sixth year named Angus O'Neil, who was built strong and tall. And of course he was seeker. They were a good enough bunch, but they needed work. Only Ron, Ginny and Dean had ever been on the team before.

Harry had found himself, coming to admiring Oliver Wood, when he was captain. Everything seemed simple, catch the snitch win the game. Now he had to think tactics strategies, it was tremendously tiring.

Trudging up the stairs to his room, all Harry wanted was his bed.

Stripping into his pyjamas, he settled under the covers. Sleep enveloped him so after.

* * *

Snape had been in a foul mood since the Potter incident and it was just his luck that his next class was the new first years. Oh how they were going to love him.

By the end of class, he had scared the whole class that he couldn't help but smirk to himself; he had been successful in giving out three detentions. Things were starting to look up.

At the present Snape was sitting in his office grading the potions the seventh years had made this afternoon.

He picked up the next vial and glanced at the neat script. Granger.

Rolling his eyes, he und corked the potion and swished under his nose. Then re corking it he held it at eye lever horizontally and rotated. Prefect in everyway, he could not fault. Snape had caught himself wishing that she had been put in Slytherin as to gloat to McGonagall, but on second thought all ways reconsidered. She was the prissy know-it-all Gryffindor. The order of the world was right.

Scribbling a satisfactory mark down, he decided to call it a night.

Crawling under the sheets, Snape succumb to a night of restless sleep.

* * *

Waking up Snape refrained from opening his eyes, it was lighter than usual, he couldn't of over slept, he never over sleeps. He was thankful he didn't have class till after lunch today.

Thinking he'd better get up, he opened his eyes to a sight he was not prepared for. Instead of being in the dungeon he had fallen asleep in he was now in a room, with four other beds.

The room was familiar yet he'd never been there before. It was exactly like the boys room's in the Slytherin dungeon, except inside of green curtains around the four-poster beds there was red.

What on earth was going on?

Snape jumped out of bed to find he was notably shorter than last night.

Looking around the room, he came face to face with someone he hadn't seen for twenty-one years.

In three quick strides he was in front of the mirror, starring at the seventeen version of himself.

His face was shaped but the same black curtain, only now there looked healthier and it was parted to the side instead of in the centre, he slowly raised his hand up to his face and poked. It was real.

'No,' Snape whisper, he held his arm out in front of him, the pale skin shone in the early hours of the morning, untouched, untainted, free of the dark mark.

Quickly getting changed into unfortunately the only thing he could find; Gryffindor robes. He practically ran down the stair. He had to find Dumbledore.

While he was contemplating what he would actually say to Dumbledore as everything just sounded ludicrous 'oh hi I just aged twenty years, and my marks gone, please explain.' He was stopped but a curly haired girl. He wouldn't have given he any thought if she once again hadn't opened her mouth.

'Morning Harry, you're up early,' said nonchalantly over the top of her books.

Stopping in his track Snape, turned on her, 'What did you say?' he hissed.

'See, why are you up so early, when you know you're not a morning person?' she wasn't even concerned about the tone he had used.

'What did you call me?'

Hermione now confused placed her book down, 'I didn't call you anything I swear'

'I thought you called me…'

'Harry, are you alright?' Hermione was now standing and making her way over to him.

'Harry? Why are you calling me that?' Snape was beyond being anger he was sacred. This was too strange even for him.

Hermione was now looking at him as if he had just said something like books should be burned, tentatively she spoke, 'because it's your name' she took another step closer, 'are you sure you're alright?'

Dumbledore. That one word kept popping into his head, 'Yeah I'm fine, I've just got to…' before she could hear the rest he had left the common room.

Snape was running as fast as he could down the corridors and stopped in front of the gargoyle. Saying the password, he sprinted up the stairs.

He knocked once before opening the door to find Dumbledore sitting behind is desk.

'Something strange is going on,' Snape almost shouted.

Blue eyes looked over half-mooned glasses, concern seeping in, 'Harry, my boy what is it?'


	2. Chapter 2

_**CHAPTER TWO**_

* * *

'What do you see, when you see me?' Snape asked. 

Dumbledore looked at him, as if analysing every feature on his face, 'I see an intelligent young man, who has gone through more than he every should of, but still seems to find joy in life, which in itself it an extraordinary talent,'

'No I mean physically,' Snape replied.

'What a strange question,' Dumbledore smiled, but continued to answer, 'I_see_ long black hair, dark eyes, pale skin, and if you moved your hair a lightening bolt scar'

With that said Snape slumped in his usual chair, while he sat there he went over thing he did the day before that would explain this. But nothing explained.

'Alb…Sir do you have a mirror?'

'Yes,' Dumbledore stood and made his way over to a cabinet and retrieved a small hand held mirror, 'It was my sister, she would carry it around for hours,' Dumbledore said passing it over to Snape.

Placing it in front of his face, he took one deep breath and pulled his hair aside, and there it was a lighting bolt scar.

Dumbledore just watched as his favourite student looked into the mirror. He was acting quite peculiar.

Just then the door burst open, and a man walked into the office. He was of average height, slim built, he was a handsome man with black shaggy hair that went in every which direction which suited his rugged look, he had about two days worth of whiskers, and small oval glasses framed piercing green eyes.

Dumbledore knew he was in his late thirties but he looked younger maybe late twenties, if his personality wasn't so repulsive to others besides Dumbledore, he would have been chased by many women with his steely gaze, but at the moment he just looked absolutely petrified.

'Ah Professor Snape, what may I do for you?' Dumbledore said gesturing to the other unoccupied chair.

Hearing his name Snape's head snapped up, when he saw that Dumbledore wasn't talking to him, he shifted in his chair to see who was going by his name.

Snape just sat there trying with every ounce of his being to school his face to its usual exterior. The man though was not so worried and when he saw the young Snape his mouth fell open.

Dumbledore registered this odd reaction, but waiting patiently for him to sit.

'Um Sir I need to talk to you'

'I figured as much,' Dumbledore smiled sweetly, Snape knew that it was Dumbledore being condescending, but the _other_Snape smiled back. Dumbledore's smile faded the slightest with this action.

Snape laughed, as much as he tried to deny it Dumbledore did know him way to well, and having him smile back would have been weird.

'What's so funny,' his voice was icy. With this Dumbledore's smile brighten; this was the Snape he knew.

'Nothing_professor_,' Snape almost bite his tongue when instead of his voice sounding icy back, it sounded sarcastic. It sounded like Potter. _Great_.

'Um Professor I think there is something we both need to tell you,' Snape said taking over the situation.

'Yes'

'I'm in fact Severus Snape, and this Harry Potter,' Snape said

Dumbledore looked at _Snape_ waiting for him to deny it.

'Its true sir, I am not Snape, I am Harry Potter,' He counted the look.

The headmaster stared from Harry to Snape, then frowned, 'I don't understand, did you take Polyjuice Potion,' he asked.

Simultaneously the both replied, 'No'

'Severus is there a potion to do what you are both proposing has happened,' Dumbledore unsure of who to ask this to.

'No, not to my knowledge,' Snape answered.

The it hit him, 'Potter', with his name the man turned to look at the teenager, 'Potter made an error in potions class yesterday and tripped dripping both of us,' Snape explained.

'Did it come in contact with your skin,' Dumbledore asked.

'Yes'

'Well I'm sure there is a potion out there some where that can put you two back in your rightful bodies, if you'll just let me contact a few people,' Dumbledore smiled as though the whole fiasco was finished with.

'Wait no, we are in our rightful bodies,' Harry blurted

'Pardon'

'What Potter means is that, I am who I say I am physically I am but twenty-one years younger and by serversa with Mr Potter,' Snape clarified.

'I'm afraid I don't understand, the body in which you _possess_ is Harry Potter's, I have had the pleasure of watching him grow, as with Professor Snape who I have known for most of his left bar eleven years.' Dumbledore said

'Show me something,' Harry shifted in his seat, he didn't like were this was going.

'Certainly,' Dumbledore reached behind him, and brought forth a picture frame and placed it on the desk between them.

Both men leaned forward, to see a young Snape being hosted in the air by the twins Fred and George, surrounded by the Quidditch team of his first year, and his friends Hermione and Ron.

'The first time I caught the snitch,' Harry whispered.

'Yes, a tremendous feat' Dumbledore placed the frame back on the shelf, 'I would like you to take some Vertisum syrup, for assurance'

The both just nodded, while he got to his feet and walked over to a cupboard, pulling to vials.

Back behind his desk, he handed them both a vial each, 'At the same time if you please'

Uncorking the bottle, Snape sniffed it before swallowing its contents.

Dumbledore then turned to the young Snape, 'Who are you?'

_Severus Snape_.

'Harry Potter'

Both the real Harry and the supposed Harry eyes grew wide.

Dumbledore frowned and continued his questions, 'When did you find out you were a wizard?'

_Birth_

'On my eleventh birthday'

'Tell me something I only told Harry?'

_How would I know?_

'Snape was the one to over hear the prophecy and he told you so my mother wouldn't get hurt,' Snape's flew to his mouth, 'you told him,' he growled.

'I think I'll go to you now, who are you?'

_Harry Potter_

'Severus Snape,' He replied

'When did you get the dark mark?'

_Never!_

'On my eighteenth birthday'

'What do I give you for Christmas every year?

_You only gave me the invisibility cloak._

'Malt whiskey and a pair of socks'

Dumbledore settled back into his chair, 'Well I don't know what is going on, but until I do I think you should continue your everyday life.'

Snape open his mouth to speak, when Dumbledore continued, 'The life that you are saying is not yours,' Dumbledore raised his hand silencing them before the got a chance, 'I see no other solution until I a….solution,' he chuckled at himself.

'Albus I don't see the humour in this?' Snape snapped.

Sobering, 'No I wouldn't think you would, I assume you know everything of the opposites life,' Dumbledore asked.

Thinking hard, Snape found that he did indeed _remember_ everything, the years spent with the Dursleys, reading the letter from Hogwarts, the train ride, meeting _his_ friends, everything.

'Yes' they both said.

'Good, well you two have class soon you better be off, you'll send for you when I have something,' Dumbledore stood.

* * *

Walking back to the Great Hall, Snape muttered to himself, this was just great. 

'Um, so I guess I have to go to the staff table,' Potter asked.

'Yes Potter, you do, and I have to go sit with your _friends_,' Snape hissed.

Without saying anything further he walked towards Snape's usual seat.

Spotting the red hair, Snape made his way over to the Gryffindor table, and sat down to one of his least favourite people.

'Hey where have you been, 'Mione said you were acting funny this morning,' Ron swallowed, 'I mean you were up' he laughed.

Snape just grumbled something like about a morning walk and placed a piece of toast on his plate.

'Harry, I've been looking for you every where'

'Harry!'

Looking up he saw that the conversation was being directed at him.

'Where were you?' Hermione asked sitting across from the boys.

'Morning walk,' Snape repeated.

'Why?'

'Do I have to advise you of my every move?' he jeered.

'No, I was just worried, you were acting strange this morning' she looked so concerned, unused to it, Snape looked away.

'Sorry' he mumbled.

_Great._ Now he had to act like the beloved Potter. Could it get any worse?

'Come on with got Transfigurations'

Yes._McGonagall_.


	3. Chapter 3

_**CHAPTER THREE**_

* * *

Snape examined his wand; it was the same as it always was; black oak handle, it felt as it always had for the 20 odd years.

But he knew...he just knew that it was different. This was the wand that had 'apparently killed Dark Lord and to his understanding meant that his wand now had a phoenix feather; the twin to Voldemort's.

'Mr Potter, will you pay attention?' McGonagall screeched across the classroom.

They were meant to be transfigurating a quill in a Sneak o'Scope.

'Who thought of these ridiculous tasks?' Snape growled to himself.

McGonagall stared at him expectantly. His turn. He stood up, pointed _his_ wand at the quill on her desk, muttered the incantation, flicked his wand and sat back down.

The newly transformed Sneak o'Scope sat still on the wooden desk.

McGonagall stared wide eyed.

Gathering her former composure, McGonagall went over and inspected the device.

Snape knew perfectly well that it would be fully functioning and took the gesture as an insult.

He was about to protest when he remembered he wasn't the perfect student of his youth, he was the delinquent Harry Potter.

Choking back his retort, he waited for her inspection to be done with.

'Well Potter you have successfully transfigurated the quill into a working Sneak o'Scope, well done 20 points to Gryffindor,' McGonagall then transformed the scope back to its original form and used it to scribble down his mark on a piece of parchment she was holding before moving onto the next student.

'Mate, how did you do that first try? Only Hermione can do that,' Ron whispered, glancing towards a sulking Hermione.

'Not used to being out done,' Snape sneered.

'What?' Ron asked.

'Nothing, just luck I guess.'

'Yeah, you're just bloody lucky,' Ron joked, then got to his feet when his name was called.

He successfully maintained his normal outcome of _not_ transforming the quill into a Sneak o'Scope.

By the end of the class the only ones to turn the quill to the scope were Snape and Hermione.

Draco had been the closest one to join them, awarding Slytherin 5 points.

Snape smirked to himself, Draco had always been his star pupil, besides the know-it-all, but he had no idea that he was as good as he was in any other classes. He was only bested by that certain know-it-all.

'All right class, ready up in chapter 20 to 22 by next class and write a 2 foot summary,' with that they were dismissed.

Heading back to the Great Hall Hermione jogged to catch up with Snape who had walked off hen Ron, Dean and Seamus had started discussing Quidditch.

'Hey, what's wrong Ron said you just walked off?' Hermione asked.

Snape rolled his eyes, this girl seriously needed to know everything. How did Potter go these past six years without strangling?

'Nothing, I'm just hungry,' he replied dryly.

'Oh okay, it's just unusual for you to walk away from a discussion on Quidditch, ' Hermione was trying to see his face but instead of tying his hair back in a ponytail as he usually did he had let it sit loose hiding his face from view.

'I'm fine,' Snape persisted, entering the Great Hall.

'Okay.'

Hermione seated herself down next to Ginny and Colin who were talking together.

Snape was fighting the urge to sit by himself, when he felt that familiar piecing blue gaze on his back.

Screaming in his head, he sat down across for the two girls.

Ginny looked up glancing as Snape, then at Hermione raising her eyebrows in question.

Snape scoffed to himself, was he to be too daft to notice or was he just to ignore this blatant gesture between them about him.

'Since when do you leave your hair out?' Colin blurted before getting daggered thrown at him by the two girls.

'Colin seriously Harry can have his hair out if he wants,' Hermione stated, then turned her gaze back to Snape.

Confused Colin, played on with his food, moving it around his plate with his fork muttering, 'but he has never left it out during class since...'

Ginny stopped the conversation by loudly greeting her brother who had finally arrived leaving Dean and Seamus to continue the discussion alone.

'Hi Ginny, why are you yelling?' Ron asked grabbing a plate full of food before stuffing his face.

'Did I? Sorry I didn't mean to,' she replied meekly.

Through a mouthful of food Ron started talking to Snape who glared in disgust at seeing the half chewed food.

Swallowing Ron continued unfazed, till he abruptly took all of Snape in a confused expression plaguing his face, 'Mate, why you got your hate out, you know ferret'll...'

'Ron!' Hermione shrieked.

Snape now honestly wanted to know what these people were talking about, but refused to ask at the point of seeming unaware of his own past.

Then he remembered that in Dumbledore's office he had known everything of Potter's life.

Thinking back concentrated on his hair and a memory popped into his head.

_He was in the dungeons and was having a strange sensation of something burning on the back of his neck._

_Reaching up to his neck his hand came away with a grayish acid. His hair then burst into flames and was shortly put out later by a distraught Hermione._

_His eyes were brought behind him by Malfoy laughing hysterically into his lap._

_Furious, Snape stood up and went towards then blonde Slytherin_

'_What are you doing?' an icy voice cut across the room._

_Potter was standing arms crossed against his chest glaring at him, with a hint of laughter edging those green eyes._

_He had seen what had happened and done nothing._

_Snape opened his to protest but was cut off._

'_Detention Mr Potter, tonight, for disrupting my class with the obvious intent of hurting a fellow student,' the older Potter drawled off, 'now sit down.'_

The memory ended but the knowledge came of always tying his hair back after that day.

Coming back to the Great Hall, Snape looked between Potter's friends.

Grumbling to himself Snape proceeded to explain, 'I was in a hurry this morning and couldn't find a tie so I thought I'd just ask one of the girls later.'

Seeing the confused faces relaxed, he rolled his eyes; these people would believe anything Potter said.

'Here you go,' Ginny said passing over a black hair tie.

'Thanks,' Snape said, his voice coming out hard and rough.

Taking the tie he pulled his hair back, revealing his face, Hermione thought he looked better with his hair out, but she also like seeing his face and those piercing eyes.

Looking at her watch, Hermione sat still for a moment, then abruptly got to her feet and left the Great Hall.

Glancing around, Snape realised that none of her friends had noticed or cared. They had just continued their conversations between each other.

'Where did Gra...Hermione go?' Snape asked the group curiosity getting the better of him, he had to restrain his arm from flying to his mouth, he hadn't meant to voice his question.

Everyone looked at him, then looked around them; they hadn't noticed.

'She probably went to the library,' Ron replied food once again stuffed into his mouth.

With a reasonable explanation given for her absence everyone returned to their conversations.

Snape couldn't believe it. Nearly standing up to go look, he had to stop himself. This impulsive behaviour was starting to frustrate him, Snape knew it was an aspect of Potter's personality, he also knew it would stop now, well from interfering with _his_ life but he was unsure if he would be able to stop the thoughts from entering his head.

'Why should I care?' he thought to himself, 'I don't!'

* * *

On the staff table Dumbledore watched as Harry's face looked as thought he was fighting an internal battle within himself.

He had been acting strange all lunch, for a moment Dumbledore had thought he'd seen indecision on the boy's face about sitting with his friends, and the meeting with him and his Potions Master had also been quite unusual.

The headmaster was broken from his thoughts when Flitwick had asked him to pass the pumpkin juice.

* * *

The rest of his classes had gone by _smoothly_ Snape thought sarcastically, nobody had asked anymore abnormal questions, and somewhat left him alone.

He said 'somewhat' as Weasley and Granger never left his side. Every time he looked there they were. Even if they weren't talking to him they were still near by.

Hermione had been in the green-house when they had arrived for Herbology.

She stood there smiling at the two boys, as though nothing was amiss about the fact that she had left and nobody had noticed; as though it happened al the time.

Snape wondered whether he'd ever himself, noticed he leave the hall by herself. Nothing came to him, he resigned himself to the fact that he never cared what the Gryffindor got up to and if he had noticed he would have come to the same conclusion her friends had.

Still unsure as to why he cared, he pushed this again to the back of his mind. Assuring himself that it was just simply in his nature, as a spy, to know everything to leave no possibility of being caught unaware.

All these thoughts raced through Snape's head as he made his way to the dungeons after dinner.

Without even knocking, he stormed in the classroom. Why should _he_ knock, it was _his_ classroom after all.

Potter was sitting behind _his_ desk, slouch in the chair, though still managed to give a Snape-isk quality about his posture. He was gazing intently at the empty cup he dangled over the arm of the chair.

Snape had to physically stop his jay from falling as Potter's intent gaze turned dark and he glared with such hatred and loathing through those oval glasses that framed those green eyes.

'Yess,' he hissed, it slowly reverberating through the classroom, 'what can I do for you, _Potter_?' he spat the last word, calming placing the cup on the desk and shifted forward giving the impression of his unwavering attention.

Snape couldn't believe how quickly Potter was turning into him. His mannerisms and speech were almost identical, the boy's...man's figure was slightly more built and didn't have the appearance of slimy-git but of a man that could have had everything but lost it already.

Snape's well achieved proudness, now on Potter it came across as arrogance.

Something clicked in Snape's head. Things, certain things would have changed in his 'Potter/Snape' past.

Like he was no greasy-git, but an attractive man whose demeanor demanded attention, he would never have to work had for a lady friend that was for certain.

This man would be loved...no he wasn't.

Looking at Potter, he clicked again; he still had the personality of the greasy-git, something hadn't changed. The events that had 'shaped' his personality hadn't changed, as he would loose that certain essence about him that made him such a good spy.

Snape then wondered if would slowly start acting more and more like Potter, with his emotions already becoming impulsive, would he gain his mannerisms and movements.

He deduced that years of being, said, spy had strengthened his mind to slow the process of losing himself as Potter was rapidly doing.

...or he didn't notice the changes as much as he thought he did. This thought scared him. Pushing it aside like most thoughts that came to him at the moment, he concentrated on the 'man' before him.

Regaining himself, he turned his face to that deathly glare, hoping to achieve the desired effect, 'Do not use that tone with me boy!' Snape stalked forward, 'I know who you, a mere _boy_, don't pretend to be a _man,_ especially one you can not be, such as me.'

A smirk crossed that ruggedly handsome face, 'oh bit it's comes so naturally,' his smirk reached his eyes, 'to hate you.'

Snape was now directly in front of the man, only the desk obscured his path, 'it seems a day is all you need and the power goes to your head little boy, just remember...'

'As you stated yourself, only you know, therefore you have no proof to other wise threat _me_ remember _my_ place,' Potter interrupted, hands spread flat on the desk, he leaned forward, and all but hissed between his teeth, 'it should be _you_ to remember _your_ place, you are but a mere student.'

Snape was furious. How dare this _child_ speak to him as he were inferior. Who did he think he...

His train of thought stopped abruptly,' Oh _Professor_, I may be, at the moment, one mere student, but you forget one important thing I am Harry Potter,' he watched as a subtle change came across his face, realization hit the man, goading he continued, '...boy wonder, Albus Dumbledore's favourite students, his prized possession, our savior...'

'Enough,' Potter growled, hands slightly twitching.

Oh but he had one more, '...the boy who lived,' those four words echoed in the silence.

Potter leaned back in the chair. Snape was unsure as to what he was thinking; the Potter he knew would throw some un-thought remark and huff about. But he had noticed that his logic was more reasonable, well more logical. This was not one of Potter's strong points whilst in a verbal confrontation.

His words were chosen carefully and with thought, there was a certain malice to them. He was speaking the same way _he_ spoke. It did not bode well.

'Yes, you are!' Potter replied suddenly, drawing dark eyes to his green, a smirk had returned to his face, this was not good. Snape knew that face, he had used it many times when he had something up on a student and there is was no possible way to get out of it, he took supreme happiness out of the look of terror that washed over the student when he pulled that face.

'...and how is that fairing so far,' Potter continued, 'enjoying your time the center of the Golden trio and everyone's watchful eyes.'

Snape made to retort but Potter wasn't finished, 'Just wait till Christmas, you're just going to love Mrs Weasley's home cooked pie, it's to die for,' he spoke with such a condescending tone, that as shiver went down, involuntarily, his spine.

Potter stood and made his way to the door, and opened it gesturing for him to leave.

'You finally get to know what fame is really like, please tell me if it is indeed _everything_,' Potter laced his words with feigned interested, before he added, 'you hope for.'

Waiting for him, he leaned posed against the door, on leg in front of the other, toe pointed to the ground, his arms were casually crossed against his chest, 'well...off you go.'

Snape glared at him for a second then reframing himself from storming out of the dungeon like a child, he 'calming' walked passed _the boy_.

Potter pulled a cloth from his pocket and cleaned his glasses, still leaning on the door, 'oh and you better hurry up, curfew is not far of and we wouldn't want a detention now would we, I had a Professor once who gave me the worst detentions you could image, all the scrubbing and cleaning until you got blistered, yes well it brings back memories,' he chuckled darkly, placing his glasses back on.

Snape turned around to glower at him.

'Oh and Harry you really shouldn't dawdle, you want to get a goods nights rest, we have Potions first thing in the morning,' with that the door was slammed in his face.


	4. Chapter 4

_**CHAPTER FOUR  
**_

* * *

Severus was sitting between Weasley and the Know-it-all snit.

Instead of being the one to come striding into the classroom, he watched as Potter slammed the door open and walked into the room.

He spared him one fleeting glance before flicking his wand; instructions appearing on the board.

He watched as he proceeded to sit behind _his_ desk and start grading papers.

Everyone around him suddenly became busy collecting ingredients. Careful not to make a sound and draw the attention of the Potions Master.

He noticed that even without the black curtain of hair and billowing robes, he still managed to have the same manner of authority and intimidation.

Potter reminded Snape a little of Remus with the way he dressed. It wasn't shabby but it held the appearance of knowledge and intelligence. He looked like a professor, in black slacks, a dress shirt of dark green, so dark it would nearly pass as black but not quite and a black buttoned up vest which all sat cleanly on his lean form. This with his oval glasses, shaggy black hair and unshaven jaw gave way to a certain air of arrogance that Snape never had.

In that moment he reminded Snape of his father, James Potter and how he had walked around as though he was inferior to none and superior to all. He also remembered that he had fallen, of how he had fallen so very far. Six feet in the ground to be exact.

All the girls watched, cautious but curious of the man. Each wanting to know what lay beneath each item of clothing, but all too heedful to venture a bat of the eye to gain his interest.

Snape knew that if this _man_ was anything like he, as Professor Snape, was he wouldn't even regard them with any significance as women, let alone the possibility of any sort of courtship.

As he stood and made his way to the storage room shaking his head, Snape witnessed something quite peculiar; Longbottom was most delicately measuring out the required ingredients. Not fumbling or shaking.

Frowning, he grabbed all his own items and returned to a waiting Weasley and Granger.

Snape was about to ask since when did ever he allow them to work in three's when Weasley stood and went over to Longbottom.

This caught Snape off guard, as he assumed that Granger would be working with Longbottom like she always did. Working was such a loose term any how as she did most of the work, nay all of the work.

'I talked to Ron earlier, I thought we could talk,' Granger whispered seeing his look of confusion.

'Won't Lon-Neville need your help,' he asked.

Hermione looked over at the two boys, 'What Neville...help...potions...you're kidding right?'

When Snape continued to have that confused looked plastered on his face and had ignored his name repeatively, Hermione nudged him in the arm to get his attention, 'you're acting very strange lately, are you feeling okay?'

Hermione reached out to feel his forehead, Snape pulled away, 'I'm fine,' he snapped.

She pulled her hand away as though burned, 'I am just concerned, you've been asking unusual question lately, and I... well everybody knows that from our first year that Neville has been one of the best students at Potions since the time when Professor Snape terrified and belittled him for the entire year, Neville is so scared to repeat that year that he did extra study with me until I couldn't teach him anything else, now his one of the best at our school.'

This was just too strange. Even he couldn't instill this much fear in his students, enough to make Longbottom actually pay close attention to what he was doing.

He openly stared at the '_Professor', _who looked up immediately.

The instant hatred between them crackled the air, magic surging in the midst of them, to the point that all the students stopped what they were doing and observed the silent battle.

'20 points from Gryffindor each, and 5 points from Slytherin each,' the Potions Master said never taking his eyes of the boy who dared challenge him.

Now he was taking points away from his own house.

A bustle of feet sounded as everyone went back to the potions.

Snape broke eye contact when he received a sharp jab in the rib. Turning his glare to the snit, he went to bite out a retort when she cut him off first.

'What are you doing? Are you completely mad? You of all people Harry,' she hissed between clenched teeth.

It was her eyes that stopped him from replying. They were scared, no terrified.

He glanced around the classroom, that same look was in every student's eyes, face, posture.

Fear.

Even the Slytherin's were frightened of their Head of House.

Snape looked back at Potter, who was still staring at him. What had changed between them?

He'd always detested Potter, loathed even. He'd even go as far as hate. But never had he had that murderous glint in his eyes. Snape wasn't sure if it was Potter coming through his persona, he didn't care. The man before him made him nervous, and that coming from Severus Snape meant you should to be terrified.

Being wary for the rest of the class, he kept his eyes on his potion, his hands doing everything by instinct, while thoughts ran through his head. The one that kept resurfacing was that he needed to talk to Albus. Immediately.

He didn't notice but Granger was watching him intently, watching as her friend next to her chopped and sliced with a grace and poise Harry had never possessed before, she watched as all this happened with glazed eyes staring at the cauldron. What was going on in that head of his?

When the class finished, the 7th years continuing in their silence, packed all their things away, placed their labeled potions on the front desk and swiftly exited the dungeons.

Snape placed his vial on the desk, with his and Granger's name on it, when those emerald eyes looked up, "Potter, stay behind.'

Granger gave him a troubled look, and reluctantly left with a reassuring nod from him.

Obediently he stood to the side as the remaining students quickly fled.

When they were finally alone, he looked at the man, his eyes widening as he watched Potter fight to the surface, his lily-green eyes turning scared.

'Professor, I need help.'

* * *


End file.
